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How Can I Quit Smoking While Pregnant

August 4th, 2009 admin No comments

Pregnancy is a very important phase in any woman’s life. It is a complete transformation that a female gender will undergo from being a woman of substance to a mother. This is an enjoyable tenure that brings in a lot of hopes and aspirations in a woman’s mind. However, there are few things that have to be given up by an expecting mother in terms of food and habits. There are many women in this world who smoke as a habit, rather as an addiction. This is a definite NO-NO when it comes to pregnancy.

There can be devastating effects that could be caused to the baby in the womb because of smoking mothers. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including truly nasty things like cyanide, lead, and at least 60 cancer-causing compounds. When a woman smokes during pregnancy, that toxic brew gets into the bloodstream which is the baby’s only source of oxygen and nutrients.

Further more, two compounds are especially harmful: nicotine and carbon monoxide. These two toxins account for almost every smoking-related complication in pregnancy, of which the most serious complication would be stillbirth, premature delivery, and low birth weight. Nicotine cuts off the oxygen supply by narrowing blood vessels throughout the body, including the ones in the umbilical cord. Long term risks include asthma, allergies, not meeting developmental milestones, and learning disorders. In addition, the rate of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is much higher among families that smoke and mothers who smoked during pregnancy.

If a woman continues to smoke even after realising she is pregnant, there should be immediate steps taken toward quitting. To stop smoking during pregnancy is not a very Herculean task. About forty percent of pregnant smokers do stop during their pregnancy-a rate that’s much higher than any other group.

There are ways that help in making a woman stop smoking during pregnancy;

  • Talking to the care provider is a safe and easy option that a woman can resort to. They may be able to recommend a safe patch or a nicotine replacement option. They may also be able to recommend a counsellor or a stop smoking program.
  • There could also be alternatives sought for smoking like chewing gum, grab a quick and healthy snack. Some take deep breaths, meditation or positive affirmations like “I will not smoke for my baby” or “I do not need to smoke.”
  • Ask other smokers also not to smoke. Not only will the baby receive the effects of the second-hand smoke, but the strong urge to smoke will slowly die down.
  • Talk to friends and family members who have quit. Ask them what worked for them, and tips on how they quit. Check out web boards and chat groups for moms who quit smoking while pregnant; they have great advice to offer.
  • Initially during the first phase of stopping to smoke, if the craving is too high, then by having one smoke, one has to simply move on. This should not deter the individual from quitting to smoke for good.

A woman should always remember the true motive of quitting to smoke,’ the baby’.  Put up pictures of healthy babies in the cubicle or on the fridge. Hang the ultrasound pictures where an expecting mother can see them everyday. These are positive motivations that drive a woman’s will power to stop smoking and lead a healthy life.

Why Pregnant Women Should Not Smoke

July 27th, 2009 admin No comments
pregnant women stop smoking

pregnant women stop smoking

Motherhood is a phase of any woman’s life that is cherished and enjoyed. Bearing a baby in the womb, protecting and nurturing its growth and well being is pivotal for any pregnant woman. Smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is absolutely non acceptable. Smoking during pregnancy is harmful for both the expecting mother and the baby and it could result in many unpleasant symptoms with the most severe one being fatal.

Among the many reasons women shouldn’t smoke when they’re pregnant is that it could cause the baby to experience sudden infant death syndrome. Women who smoke during pregnancy expose their babies to the harmful substance content of the cigarette which is too strong to be handled by the fragile and delicate infant. Stillbirth is also another factor that occurs when a pregnant woman smokes.

To look at the other damages caused due to smoking during pregnancy, the nicotine, tar and tobacco of a single cigarette can cause low birth weight of the foetus. Low birth weight can lead to create many complications including prenatal death. During pregnancy, the carcinogen content of the cigarette could also affect the placenta that protects the foetus causing placenta abrasion.

Apart from the many physical symptoms that can occur due to smoking while bearing the child, the baby would suffer from terrible respiratory problems and infections. Not only would they find it hard to breathe, the chances of them developing asthma also increases. A baby born of a mother who used to smoke during pregnancy is more likely to have colic (stomach pain and indigestion).

When a pregnant woman smokes, the nicotine and other compounds found in tobacco pose both an immediate and an extended threat to the health of her developing child. Sometimes, smoking even reduces a woman’s fertility.

There is other constituents of cigarette smoke, carbon monoxide (CO), which can also change or interrupt basic physiological processes. CO is an odourless, colourless gas produced by burning carbon containing compounds. CO displaces oxygen from the molecule that normally carries it through the bloodstream to the organs and tissues. High levels of CO can be deadly. When a pregnant woman smokes, the trace amounts of CO that she inhales mean less oxygen will be delivered to her tissues and to her foetus.

Therefore, it is very important that every woman realises her responsibility in delivering a healthy child to the world. Smoking during pregnancy is a very harmful habit and can completely alter the health condition of the baby for the worse.